Various Vol.10 - 1960-65 (CD)

(Eric Records) 24 tracks

During the early 1960s, rock and roll grew by leaps and bounds. The Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, and Motown and Stax Records all entered the stage, and soon nothing would be the same. But, the more things change, the more they stay the same, and much of the Top 40 retained the classic ’50s sound – from teen idols like Jimmy Clanton (“Venus In Blue Jeans”) to nascent Tex-Mex by Sunny & The Sunglows (“Talk To Me”). Eric Records’ Hard To Find 45s On CD, Volume 10: 1960-1965 documents it all, from new sounds – like the Sir Douglas Quintet’s “She’s About A Mover” (in true stereo for the first time ever!) – to the loping rockabilly of Harold Dorman’s “Mountain Of Love.”

The Hard To Find 45s series specializes in rescuing great songs for posterity (and your listening pleasure). All of these songs made the Top 100 – and no less than 18 cracked the Top 30 – but 10 of them have never been reissued on CD until now! These rare gems include unique tracks like Keith Colley’s spicy “Enamorado” (a left-field, Spanish-language hit in 1963), Johnny Mathis sound-alike Adam Wade’s Top 10 “Take Good Of Her” (heard here for the first time on CD in its original Coed Records version), and Andrea Carroll’s “It Hurts To Be Sixteen,” a ringer for a long lost Chiffons girl group classic – perhaps because that famous quartet (“He’s So Fine”) provides backing vocals!

Suffice to say, records back then had personality. Witness Mel Gadson’s extended medical metaphor, “Coming Down With Love.” Or, “Heartbreak (It’s Hurtin’ Me),” which finds soulful singer Jon Thomas on the verge of pulling his own plug. How about the Dynamics’ “Misery,” a funky petition of love punctuated by a soaring, Four Seasons-style chorus? Then there’s the faux British Invasion rocker “Roses Are Red My Love,” performed by New York natives the “You Know Who Group” – who performed in masks and capes! They don’t make ’em like that anymore – and none of those tracks has ever been available on CD before!

Hard To Find 45s on CD Volume 10 bulges with 59 minutes of pop platters, all lovingly remastered for the highest quality sound. All of these songs have been difficult (if not impossible) to find on CD, but two – “There She Goes” (Jerry Wallace) and “Mission Bell” (Donnie Brooks) – have been commonly heard in inferior, remade versions; here, we present the original hit single versions. This terrific collection includes a 12-page booklet with detailed biographies of all the artists by Greg Adams. And, don’t miss Hard To Find 45s on CD Volume 9: 1957-1959. Hard to find? Not anymore!